St John And St Thomas Usvi

[Patti B]

I am going to be flying into St Thomas and take the ferry over to St John where we will be staying in our own villa. We plan on doing most of our own cooking but I am having a difficult time finding anything gluten-free in St Thomas/ St John. Apparently, The Natural Food Deli at Mandela Circle, Plaza Extra at the Tutu Mall, Pueblo, and the Natural Food Deli in St Thomas and the Starfish and Dolphin Markets in St John MAY carry gluten free grocery items, but has anyone gone there that can verify this? What about restaurants? We'd like to go out to eat once or twice on either island and I can't seem to find any restaurants that are gluten-free. I'd like to go to a place where chefs/owners/wait staff are knowledgeable and try their best to avoid cross-contamination. Thank you in advance for your replies!

[larrysyr]

Hello, I'm currently down in St. John, staying for a few months in my home down here. Food is very expensive down here, with many things 2 to 3 times more costly than in the continental US. Gluten free items are hard to find, although Dolphin Market, the second largest on St. John, had a limited selection of Bob's Red Mill gluten free items, like sorghum flour, rice flour, cake and brownie mixes, and pancake mix. Unfortunately, the flour won't do you much good without the xanthum gum or guar gum to make your bread more gluten like, and I couldn't find this anywhere. All items cost about 2x the standard US price. I mailed a bunch of supplies to the agent who rents my house when I'm not here. I stuffed flat rate priority mail boxes with bread mix, etc. Only costs 14.50 a box, and can weigh up to 70 lbs. Ask your rental agent if you can ship the box to them. The restaurants down here are not very gluten aware, and the staff is constantly changing, so the waiter you had last season who knew all about it and the chef who also understood all the problems, might not be here next year, or next month. Everybody speaks English, however, so you can at least let them know that you have a problem with gluten. Most will try and help you out. If your rental villa doesn't have a bread maker, you might benefit from bringing a silicon bread pan in your luggage, which won't weigh you down. Plenty to eat down here without gluten. You won't starve, and you will look better in your bathing suit.